Simple home made toy rockets and airplanes with launcher

ABSTRACT

A simple system to build and launch home made toy rockets and airplanes using air pressure for launching, and paper and Styrofoam for construction is described. The launch system consists of plastic plumbing pipe and plastic beverage bottles. An impact from a foot or hand on the plastic bottle launches the rocket or airplane. Various educational and recreational uses of this building and launching system are also described.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS

Not applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to toy rockets and toy airplanes which can be made by anyone and which are launched by air pressure. This invention also relates to a simple method of generating air pressure to launch rockets and airplanes. This invention also relates to simple methods and materials to make toy rockets and toy airplanes so they can be made by anyone. This invention also relates to novel educational and recreational uses of the invention.

2. Background of the Invention

All known previous art involves complex launch systems using pumps and valves to generate air pressure to launch a rocket. The only somewhat simple system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,006 (1978) which uses a flexible air impact bulb to generate pressure. The bulb, rockets and other parts of that patent must be manufactured for that specific purpose. Previous art has very little educational value and does not permit skills in building and experimenting.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

The object and advantage of this invention is to provide the user with a very inexpensive, easy to make and easily replaceable toy rockets and toy airplanes and launch system. Additional objects and advantages are to generate interest in science and math and to develop skills in building and experimenting with different designs. A further object is to provide recreation for children and adults. Another object is to provide competition among schools, clubs, groups or individuals in building and flying rockets and airplanes. Another object is to provide a new game of skill called Rocket Golf, which is played the same as golf except rockets and launch systems are used instead of golf balls and clubs.

SUMMARY

This invention is for a very simple system of making and launching toy rockets and airplanes. These toys are used mostly for education and recreation. The rockets and airplanes are made from paper, Styrofoam, and non-toxic glue. The rockets and airplanes are made by gluing and rolling a standard size piece of paper around a piece of cpvc plumbing pipe and removing the paper tube. This tube is the body of the rocket or airplane. Rocket fins or airplane wings are made from card stock paper and glued in place while the paper tube is supported on an assembly stand. The assembly stand is made using a wood base and a short vertically mounted piece of ½ pvc pipe. The invention also describes a simple method of making the Styrofoam nose cone for the rocket and airplane.

The simple launch system consists of a 100 to 150 centimeter piece of ½ pvc thin wall plastic pipe and a plastic soda or beverage bottle to generate air pressure for launching.

Launching is done by inserting the ½, pvc pipe into the bottle neck, bending the bottle about 90 degrees at the neck and sliding the rocket or airplane over the opposite end of the pipe. The tube can then be aimed in the desired direction and by stepping on the bottle the airplane or rocket is launched.

DRAWINGS—Figures

FIG. 1 shows a launch system with a toy rocket in the launch position.

FIG. 2 shows a launch system with a toy airplane in the launch position.

FIG. 3 shows a roll tube in place and ready to roll a sheet of paper with glue applied.

FIG. 4 shows a piece of card stock paper with fold line and fin pattern

FIG. 5 shows a metal tube being pushed and twisted into a block of styrofoam to cut a nose cone.

FIG. 6 shows a vehicle assembly stand.

FIG. 7 shows an end view of a rocket with fins glued in place

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows the launch system with a toy rocket 10 mounted on a launch tube 12 which is a 100 to 150 cm long piece of ½ pvc thin wall plastic plumbing pipe. The launch tube 12 is shown inserted into an air bulb 13 which is a plastic beverage bottle. The toy rocket 10 consists of a rolled paper body tube 15A, a styrofoam nose cone 21 glued and taped into the paper body tube 15A at one end, and two sets of card stock paper fins 16 glued into the body tube 15A at the opposite end as show in FIG. 7.

FIG. 2 shows a launch system with a toy airplane 11 mounted on a launch tube 12. The launch tube 12 is a 100 to 150 cm long piece of ½ pvc thin wall plastic pipe. The launch tube 12 is shown inserted into an air bulb 13 which is a plastic beverage bottle. The toy

airplane 11 consists of a rolled paper body tube 15B, a styrofoam nose cone 21 glued and taped into the paper body tube 15B at one end, and a wing 22 of any aerodynamic shape. The toy airplane 11 also consists of aerodynamic control surfaces such as a horizontal stabilizer 24 and rudder 23. The wing 22 and control surfaces 23, 24 are made from card stock paper or thin sheets of Styrofoam as found in Styrofoam dinner plates or meat trays. The wings 22 and control surfaces 23, 24 are glues to one side of the paper body tube 15B and located for proper balance and aerodynamic control.

FIG. 3 shows a roll tube 14 placed on a standard sized sheet of paper 15. The paper 15 is curled up at one of the long sides to facilitate rolling around the roll tube 14. A non-toxic glue such as white glue or school glue is applied in thin lines to cover only the paper 15 which will not be in contact with the roll tube 14 when the paper is rolled around the roll tube 14. The paper tube 15A or 15B is removed from the roll tube 14 and is used to make either a toy rocket or toy airplane 11.

FIG. 4 shows a piece of cardstock paper of 4 cm by 4 cm which is folded on the center vertical line and cut to the shape shown by the angled lines. This is then one set of fins 16. Another set is made the same way. Both sets of fins 16 can be folded and cut at the same time. Both sets of fins 16 are glues to one end of the rocket body tube 15A opposite each other as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 5 shows a thin wall metal tube 17 which is sharpened at one end being twisted and pushed into a piece of extruded styrofoam 18. The metal tube is pushed and twisted all the way through the styrofoam 18. The formed foam is then pushed out of the metal tube 17, sanded to round or parabolic shape at one end, glued and taped into the rocket or airplane body tube 15A, 15B.

FIG. 6 shows a vehicle assembly stand which is used to hold the rocket body tube 15A while the fins 16 and nose cone 21 are glued in place, and while the glue is setting up.

The assembly stand may be used the same way for airplanes. The assembly stand is made by drilling a 13/16 hole in a small piece of wood 20 and pushing a short piece of a ½ pvc thin wall plumbing pipe 19 into the hole.

Advantages

From the description above a number of advantages of the simple homemade toy rockets and airplanes with launcher are evident;

The rockets, airplanes and launch system are made from readily available materials that are used in large quantities for other applications. The paper for the body tubes, fins and wings can be material that was destined for the trash or recycle box. The roll tube and launch tube are common plastic plumbing pipe. The metal nose cone cutter can be a piece of tube from a broken or recycled aluminum lawn chair. The air bulbs are common plastic soda bottles preferable one and two liter capacity. These bottles are re-inflated before each launch by blowing into the end of the attached launch tube. Each bottle should give many launches if the end is not crushed during launch.

-   -   (a) Children and adults have the satisfaction of being creative         in building something useful and entertaining. Many skills are         learned and developed in the building process.     -   (b) This rocket and launch system can be used in science and         math classes with experiments for students in all grades         including college level. Students in lower grades can launch for         maximum distance by launching at a 30 degree angle above the         horizon and measuring the distance. Middle grade students can         learn the effects of different launch angles, bottle sizes,         different fin sizes shape and number, and different size         parachutes. They can study basic aerodynamics by adding wings         and control surfaces instead of fins. Many different wing and         control surface combinations are suggested in a manual that is         included in a kit of materials. Middle and high school students         could do any or all of the following experiments; heavier paper         vs lighter paper, loose fit vs tight fit on the launch tube,         rocket length vs distance, time aloft vs altitude, launch angle         vs distances height vs distance, and rocket speed using a video         carnera. High school and college students could use this system         to hold competitions. More advanced students could use this         system to determine acceleration, launch speed, air drag, drag         coefficients, and theoretical maximum height and distance         compared to actual parameters.     -   (c) The low weight of the rockets and airplanes and the         Styrofoam nose cone make this system safe for all ages. Even a         direct hit a short distance form the launch tube does not cause         injury.     -   (d) Rockets can be built and ready for flight in minutes. This         system can be used at carnivals and fairs to let the public         build and fly rockets     -   (e) Rockets and launch system can also be used to play a new         game called Rocket Golf which is the same as golf except rockets         and launch system are used in place of golf balls and clubs.

Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. 

1. A simple home-made toy rocket comprising: A. A thin sheet of substance glued and rolled around a cylindrical shape roll tube and removing the roll tube from the formed rocket body tube. B. A substantially thicker sheet of substance of suitable size and number for making stabilizing fins and fastened to said rocket tube at one end. C. A piece of light weight cellular material cut to a solid cylindrical shape of diameter nearly equal to said rocket body tube and fastened into the opposite end of said rocket body tube and further shaped for minimum aerodynamic drag. The said cellular material is cut by pushing and twisting a suitable sized sharpened metal cylindrical tube into said cellular material.
 2. The toy rocket of claim 1 wherein said roll tube is a suitable length of ¾ cpvc plastic plumbing pipe.
 3. The toy rocket of claim 1 wherein said thin sheet of substance is a sheet of paper.
 4. The toy rocket of claim 1 wherein said thicker sheet of substance is card stock paper.
 5. The toy rocket of claim 1 wherein said light weight cellular material is Styrofoam.
 6. The toy rocket of claim 1 wherein said lightweight cellular material is foam rubber.
 7. A simple home-made toy airplane comprising: A. A thin sheet of substance glued and rolled around a cylindrical shape roll tube and removing the roll tube from the formed airplane body tube, B. A substantially thicker sheet of substance of suitable size and number for making wings and stabilizing surfaces and fastened to said airplane tube, C. A piece of light weight cellular material cut to a solid cylindrical shape of diameter nearly equal to said airplane body tube and fastened into the opposite end of said airplane body tube, and further shaped for minimum aerodynamic drag. The said cellular material is cut by pushing and twisting a suitable sized sharpened metal cylindrical tube into said cellular material.
 8. The toy airplane of claim 7 wherein said toll tube is a suitable length of ¾ cpvc plastic plumbing pipe.
 9. The toy airplane of claim 7 wherein said thin sheet of substance is a sheet paper.
 10. The toy airplane of claim 7 wherein said thicker sheet of substance is card stock paper.
 11. The toy airplane of claim 7 wherein said light weight cellular material is Styrofoam.
 12. The toy airplane of claim 7 wherein said lightweight cellular material is foam rubber.
 13. A launch system for simple home-made toy rockets and airplanes comprising: A. A cylindrical tube of rigid material of suitable length and outside diameter to closely match the inside diameter of said rocket body tube and said airplane body tube and serve as the launch tube, B. An air bulb with a neck of inside diameter to closely match the outside diameter of said launch tube, said launch tube being inserted into said neck of said air bulb and serve to supply pressurized air for launching by the impact of a foot or hand, whereby anyone can make and launch simple home made toy rockets and airplanes and can use said toy rockets and airplanes for educational and recreational purposes.
 14. The launch system of claim 13 wherein said launch tube is a suitable length of ½ pvc thin wall plastic plumbing pipe.
 15. The launch system of claim 13 wherein said air bulb is a plastic beverage bottle.
 16. The launch system of claim 13 wherein said recreational purposes include rocket golf which is played the same as golf except said launcher system is used in place of golf clubs and said rockets are used in place of golf balls. 